I return from a short absence of diary writing (OK, over 4 1/2 years) to post a diary with my proposed questions for the candidates tonight.
I generally don't like to diary because, while my job is litigation attorney, I am extremely thin-skinned, so when I say something that draws criticism (as is inevitable), I either feel really bad about it or I get very defensive and bitter.
Oh well, I guess once every 4 or 5 years I can take a chance and go for it.
I think the mistake that a lot of people make who want to draft great questions for the GOP is that they draft questions which require a great deal of analysis and meaningful thought. The party has drifted SO far to the right that these "are you a moderate" questions are meaningless, much like asking a serial killer if it is OK to steal a loaf of bread to feed your family -- that is not a challenge. Many of my questions seek to basically establish only that the party has gone so far to the right that its candidates will state whatever it takes to appeal to the craziest. Some are a little tougher. Anyway, without further ado, I break my 4+ year absence after the squiggle
Real Questions:
1) Is there any position taken by the Religious Right groups in this country such as (identify a couple) that you believe is incorrect?
2) Would there ever be a reason (for examine, war, national health emergency) where it would be permissible to raise taxes on those with incomes above $1,000,000 a year -- even temporarily? If so, what would that be?
3) Assuming you are unwilling to raise taxes, and assuming that Obama's terrible performance has made growth difficult for a couple years, identify $600 billion a year in spending that you would cut immediately to balance the budget.
4) Do you support trade with China, a country with a terrible human rights record and nuclear weapons?
5) In light of your answer to #4, why is China a more acceptable trading partner than Iran?
6) Is the world roughly 6,000 to 7,000 years old?
7) Do you recognize that the Christians, Jews and Muslims all pray to the same God?
8) If a man in Minnesota is 41 years old and has paid into Social Security and Medicare for 23 years, do you believe that you should cut his future benefits under either program?
9 - several subparts through follow ups)
Do you believe that the Confederate Flag should be displayed by states if they so choose?
follow up 1 -- If yes, then how do you square that position with the "Pledge of Allegiance" which states that the United States flag represents "one nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE, with liberty and justice FOR ALL"?
follow up 2 -- Do you agree that the ideas for which the Confederate flag stands are not consistent with pledging allegiance to the United States flag?
follow up 3 -- If you continue to support the Confederate flag, do you believe that the Pledge of Allegiance should not be said in any public gathering as it may offend southerners and wannabe southerners?
10) Are commodities prices for gas and oil too high or too low under President Obama's watch?
11) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says that our national infrastructure needs $4.6 trillion just to bring it up to acceptable status. Can you identify any major U.S. infrastructure project that you would support?
12) How much would it cost to build a 600 mile 20-foot high wall across the border of Mexico and the U.S.? Would you build it if the Mexican government would not?
Sarcastic
A) If one of you folks plays well in the JV debate, do you believe that the moderators should have the right to decide to give you a chance to play half of the Varsity debate?
B) If you win 3 straight JV debates, do you think you should get to be in the fourth Varsity debate? (Like the PGA tour does with its minor league)?
C) As a white female Republican, is Carly Fiorina contractually or constitutionally required to make wildly inaccurate/false claims and then refuse to back them up?
D) Would it be OK with Ben Carson if Rand Paul refused to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and allowed hotels and restaurants to decide if Ben Carson could stay/eat there?
E) John Kasich -- do you really believe in helping the poor and, if so, why don't you want to win the nomination?
F) To Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio - we know illegal immigration is a scourge on the country, would you support a constitutional amendment that defined "citizen" and "natural born citizen" to include only people born in the U.S. to two parents who were both American citizens at the time of birth?
G) To JV Debaters -- are you embarrassed that your own party thinks you have no chance to win and put you in this shitty debate?
H) To Chris Christie -- the pictures with Barack Obama, were you hugging him or merely grabbing his ass?
I) To Scott Walker -- isn't a college education basically a bare minimum requirement to getting a good office job today?
J) To Jeb Bush -- rank your mom, dad, siblings (including yourself) and GWB's twin girls by intelligence starting at the bottom with GWB. Go!
K) To Trump -- can you identify one positive quality that any of the 9 other people on stage have that is superior to any quality you have? You may answer, "No, none" if you would like.
L) To Mike Huckabee - Iran is basically run by a right-wing religious organization that believes that all laws should be based upon a book of religion allegedly blessed by the God of Abraham. Is there anything wrong with that?